Five reasons Hispanic marketers should pay attention to Google +

As the fastest-growing site in history, Google’s month-old social networking platform Google + is something Hispanic marketers should follow closely. Although not open to businesses yet, Google + will soon be rolling out an offering for brands that will represent a real opportunity for Hispanic marketers for the following reasons:

1. Hispanics are active social media users

There is ample evidence that Hispanics are avid users of social media. Hispanics have been at the center of the social media phenomenon since it began, using social media to connect, share and express their unique culture. Today, social media sites Facebook and YouTube are the 2nd and 4th most popular websites among Hispanics, I would not be surprised if Google + also become popular among Hispanics who have taken to social media.

2. Hispanics are early adopters

When it comes to technology, Hispanics are eager and open to try new things. As I pointed out in February of this year, Hispanics, regardless of language preference, are leading the way when it comes to mobile adoption. What’s more, research from the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at FSU signals that Hispanics are early adopters of tablets and e-readers, therefore it is likely that Hispanics will try out Google +.

3. Unprecedented launch and adoption of Google +

At only a month old, Google + has become the fastest growing website in history, attracting 25 million global unique visitors. Early adopters of Google + tend to be male, 18-34 and from high tech cities such as Austin and the Bay Area. Although Hispanic adoption data of Google + is not yet available, my hunch is that Hispanics are well represented among the early adopters.

4. Facebook has become a viable platform for engaging Hispanics

Countless brands, organizations and government agencies are successfully engaging with Hispanics via Facebook Pages and Facebook Advertising. Facebook has created an effective platform for marketing to Hispanics via social media and at the same time carved out a share of Hispanic online marketing budgets. Google is certainly aware of this and if Google + is successful, Hispanic marketing dollars are sure to follow.

5. It’s Google

True, Google’s previous foray into social media with Google Buzz was a failure. But Google’s massive reach among Hispanics is impressive and puts them in an enviable position to launch a new social network. In July 2011, Google.com was the most popular website among Hispanics reaching 25.7 million Hispanics or near 80% of the market. Hispanic marketers have been successfully using Google Adwords for years and the combination of Google + and Google Adwords is certainly alluring. In addition, 7.2 million Hispanics visited Gmail in July 2011 representing a solid “built in” audience for Google +.

As a Hispanic marketer, I will be keeping an eye on Google +. Connect with me on Google + and let me know what you think. I will also let you know if Google’s new social network will add up for reaching Hispanics.